DUSK'S POV
The moment I realized I had kissed him, I pulled back.
Why did I kiss him?
What was that strange force that led me to kiss him?
Maybe it was just my way of comforting him, a way to help him find solace.
He looked at me, and I gulped.
"I'm..." I said, but he kissed me in return, and I didn't refuse it.
Maybe it was because we were mates. Yes, it had to be.
The strange attraction I felt for him that wasn't love, the strange pull that I felt anytime we were together.
It was probably our inner wolves calling out to each other.
What had started out as a slow, burning, and passionate kiss turned into a desperate and scorching kiss.
Maybe just for that night, I'd allow myself to let go of all the resentment I held for him and his self-centeredness.
~
That night, I held Lucius in my arms, and he slept soundly.
Lucius had changed a lot compared to how he had been when I had first met him.
It all started when I rejected him; he had become nicer and I was still having a headache trying to determine what was happening between us.
Was it love or lust?
Or fear of rejection from his side?
Or because he needed a Luna, and I wasn't willing to be a Luna for his pack?
I gave a sigh and decided to let things rest a bit. After all, time unravels secrets.
~
The next day, I went to see Matilda. She was busy reading.
"How can a blind girl read?" I asked, and she looked up in the wrong direction.
"You don't need to pity me. I'm fine on my own," she said, and I went to sit next to her. It was then I noticed the book was written in Braille.
"Oh," I said and checked the other books on her table. They were all written in Braille.
"All the books here are written in Braille?" I asked, and she took a sheet of paper.
"No. Pass me the pen, please," she said, and I passed her the pen.
She wrote on the book. She had pretty handwriting, but it wasn't arranged properly. It was probably due to the fact that she couldn't see. Then, she dropped the pen.
"Would you help me out?" She asked, and I looked at her.
"With what?" I asked, and she tapped the book.
"There's a story I have to write. Will you write it for me?" She asked, and I took the pen.
"Sure. Tell me about it," I said, and she leaned back in her chair.
"Not now," she said and continued reading.
I stood up and left before returning with a canvas and painting tools.
"What's that?" She asked.
"It's a canvas and painting tools. I got it from the art room," I replied, and she looked up in the wrong direction.
"Why did you bring it here?" She asked, and I looked at the white canvas.
"I want you on my canvas. I'm not pretty good at drawing, but I just feel so comfortable with you. I think I'll miss you when I leave. It's like you and I have something in common. So, even if it's a messed up painting, I want to remember you," I said, and she continued reading.
"Maybe one day, you'll be able to see it," I said as I started to paint.
I painted Matilda for a long time, and it seemed to be turning out well.
"How did you become blind?" I asked out of the blue, and she didn't reply.
I realized it was quite a touchy question, and that I shouldn't have asked. It might have come with a bad memory.
When I was done with the painting, I admired it for a while and stood up.
I stretched and packed my painting tools.
"I was really young, and I could see perfectly. But due to the fact that I was a girl, my mother wasn't pleased. She wanted a boy. She did get a boy but felt I was useless. So, she exchanged my eyes for something much more. Something she could use to her advantage," she suddenly said, and I looked at her.
It was quite cruel. Why would she feel a girl was useless? Wasn't she once a girl?
"Was it painful?" I asked, and she nodded.
"Very. And she didn't feel remorse; she only cared for my younger brother. But when she saw I wasn't willing to help her again, she sold me. Alpha Roland happened to come across the shop where I worked, and he bought me so I could teach his numerous daughters how to read Braille because he loves it," she said, and I went to sit next to her. I hugged her.
"It's all in the past now, Matilda," I said, and hoped my hug was able to give her comfort.
~
Later in the day, the Lunas called a meeting, and the theme was 'Help our Alphas.'
It turned out the meeting was quite pointless because each Luna kept on bragging about how handsome their Alpha was and how powerful their Kingdom was.
Some even tried to ask about Lucius, and from the way others listened in whenever a question about Lucius was asked, I could tell they were all interested in him.
I excused myself, saying I needed a shower, but that was just a lie to get away from them.
I walked across the garden and watched Lucius laughing with the Alphas. It seemed like he was having a great time.
Why do you care? I asked myself and turned away.
However, before I got to the garden, I heard the children whispering in fear.
I rushed to them, and they looked at me as though I was going to punish them.
"What ha...?" I was about to say.
"Help!" I heard, and turned to see Matilda floating away. She had her stick and was holding onto the same weak log I had held onto.
The girls had a rope, but Matilda was blind and would not even see if the girls threw her the rope.
And it was the lake of souls; they didn't want to enter into it.
I took the other end of the rope and went to get Matilda, but before entering the water, I stopped.
Matilda's voice rang in my head.
"If you go in a second time, it takes your soul," she had said.
"Help! Please!" She screamed, and I bit my lip, thinking fast.
Seconds later, the branch bent and snapped, and Matilda screamed as she tried to find something else to hold onto, but she went down quickly into the water.
"Matilda!" I called, but there was no response.
Help her and lose my soul?